Saturday, 19 July 2008

Quote of the week (Bob Sichinga)

"People are not opposed to the increase of tariffs but the question everyone is asking is... 'Is Zesco going to be more efficient if the tariffs are raised? The answer is 'no'. Right now Zesco is not an efficient company in that in most of the power that it generates, very little reaches the final consumers, the end users....There is need to dismember Zesco. You want invite private sectors like Lunsemfwa and other private individuals to come in the market yet you want Zesco to monopolise the power distribution facility. How is that possible......There is need to have an independent carrier in place to specifically handle transmission. Let Zesco do their core business which is generation."

3 comments:

I would hope that the powers that be are open to the words of Mr. Bob Sichinga. In a separate article titled "China reaps reward of Zambia copper investment" by Kennedy Gondwe via BBC World Service, Mr. Sichinga made some very astute observations about how foreign investors are taking advantage of Zambia. To wit, great profits and amounts of refined materials are being extracted from Zambia while pollution, a lack of sustainable (i.e.- renewable) infrastructural development, and worn out bodies are being left behind in the process. That's a great "investment" for managers looking at a profit margin, but for the host nation? That's eventual death.

In the matter of ZESCO generating electrical energy while another agency is tasked with delivering said energy in an efficient manner, isn't that just common sense? You can keep stuffing nshima in a corpse's mouth, but it will remain a corpse. Don't continue throwing money at a proven gambling addict who drains the coffers.

p.s.- Decentralization of some of the electrical generation within Zambia is possible through the use of photovoltaic, microhydroelectric, and wind harnessing systems. Such systems have already proven effective in many remote areas around the world as well as in more urban settings. There are many educated and skilled Zambians capable of installation and maintenance of such systems.

Zambia has a population of about 13 million. now the question is Cant the Government find ways and means improving the lives of those who are living in poverty? a look at counties such as Nigeria with a population of over 150 million. despite us not having oil i still strongly feel we can use the natural resources which are available to us we have enough wall and land which is a very great resource. Indeed Zesco should deal with Generation of power only so as to improve efficiency.

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